Mosaics
by Victoria LeRoux
Summary: 100 Themes for 100 Fics Challenge. Part IX "Drive" features Thor & Jane Foster. Thor was born to be a hero. That does not mean Jane needs to be saved.
1. Introduction:Pepper Potts & Steve Rogers

_Characters: Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers_

_Summary: As usual, things begin with an introduction. Pepper Potts, meet Steve Rogers._

I debated putting this up with Polyrhythm, but since I'm going to start updating that one as intended, this'll be a separate adventure. I know it's been a while since I've posted, but consider this my reentry into active writing and fandoming. I'll be using selections from the 100 Themes challenge, and updates should be frequent (read as, daily).

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><p><em>Introduction<em>

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><p>"Pepper Potts," she tells him coolly, clasping a file within her arms. She clenches it in her white fingers like a shield, keeping it between her and the rest of the world.<p>

There's numbing anger in her gaze, a frosty dislike of him and what he's brought down upon her. He holds out a hand in response, giving her a genial smile. His initial volley may have been accidental, but it appears to have provoked a war nonetheless. Her anger is that of blinding ice, of chilling snow in the mountains, not a brilliant burning fire.

"Steve Rogers," he tells her softly.

Ms. Potts looks up and down his body, analyzing him. Something in her gaze lets Steve know that he's come up short – how, precisely, he doesn't know.

"I'm aware," she tells him. His hand still hangs between the two of them. "Tony's informed me."

Pepper takes his hand for a brief moment, holding it only long enough for her brevity to be read as more curt than rude, before she turns away. There's a certain lukewarm displeasure at his appearance that manifests as she begins to move away. "You look different without your suit," she tosses over her shoulder. "Tony's in room 3."

_You look different without your suit_ is a pointed blow, an echo of what he told Tony when they first met. Steve winces, but allows the strike to glance off him. He deserves the hit, of that he's sure.

"Thank you, Ms. Potts," he calls after her, striding down the hallway towards the third room.

Either she doesn't hear or she doesn't respond.

Steve thinks it's more of the latter.

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><p>Many thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and if you care to, I would appreciate it if you left a review on your way out. -V<p> 


	2. Stalling: Bruce Banner & Natasha Romanov

_Characters: Bruce, Natasha, mentions of Clint_

_Summary: Bruce Banner on the subject of bank holdups. Or, a bank robber didn't realize he chose to rob a bank frequented by the Hulk._

Thanks to everyone that R&Red. Reviews tend to make my day, especially when I'm neglecting my studies.

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><p><em>Stalling<em>

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><p>"Please," Bruce says, hands spread out disarmingly at his side. He can feel the Hulk straining at the edges of his bonds, testing for a way out. "You don't have to do this."<p>

The man looks at him, almost curiously. He takes a step forward. "What makes you think that?" he asks, a hint of amusement in his voice. The man is dead, he just doesn't know it yet.

"Please," Bruce says, voice lilting slightly as he continues a frantic mantra of calm calm calm. "Please, don't try to kill me."

Bruce swallows a mouthful of blood, grimacing at its taste. He can't let the Hulk loose – not here. Not when there are civilians around, their fragile bodies ripe for abuse.

Doctor Bruce Banner, bleeding and tired and pissed to hell at the amount of people who think that the Hulk is just an overgrown puppy, kneels at the feet of a two-bit robber and begs for his life.

"Are you begging?" the robber looks rather satisfied.

"Look, I just wanted to withdraw some cash from my account," Bruce replies quickly and urgently. The Hulk's beginning to settle as the initial pulse of adrenaline fades a bit. "My roommates – they just wanted me to get the groceries and I wanted to-"

"Shut up," the man orders. The gun levels at Bruce's head and oh god he can feel the Hulk at the surface.

"Please," Bruce says again. The Hulk's so close, waiting to tear its way free. Bruce shudders. "Just… don't point the gun at me. Safer for everyone, right?"

"Stop begging," the man tells him, coming closer so that his gun was inches away from Bruce's head. "You're so fu-"

"I'm not begging," Bruce grits out as he feels his body tense. He can hear the Hulk roaring at the sight of the gun and Bruce feels like he can't fit in his body anymore, as though he's about to tear apart at the seams. "I'm stalling."

"Stalling?" the man's eyes widen, and suddenly he's not standing there anymore. In his place is Natasha, bloody knife in one hand and not a hair out of place. She even gives a slightly disdainful sniff as she looks down at the would-be bank robber.

"Doctor Banner," Natasha inclines her head respectfully, holding out her unarmed hand.

Bruce takes it gratefully and rises. "Miss Romanov," he tells her. The Hulk begins to fade, the lack of danger (Romanov excluded) causing the last dregs of adrenaline to wash from Bruce's body. "I expected you earlier."

Natasha shrugs. "Traffic," she explains, not even bothering to disguise the lie. Bruce crosses his arms as she gives thestand down signal out the window.

"For you or for Barton?" he asks.

From what Bruce can tell, her smile isn't completely faked. "Both."

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><p>Please consider dropping a review on your way out, loves. Thanks for the read! -V<p> 


	3. Drowning: Tony Stark and ?

_Characters: _Tony Stark, ?

Summary: Tony Stark has an Epiphany. Yes, capital letter and all. Alternatively can be described with deep water, a lack of oxygen, a hard-earned phobia, and a helping hand.

I was just about to curl up in bed when I realized I hadn't posted the next chapter! Thank you so very much to everyone who has taken the time to review so far. I promise I'll send out review replies when I get up tomorrow morning.

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><p><em>Drowning<em>

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><p>Tony chokes.<p>

He can't help it – he'd been thrown into the water before he could take a proper breath, and the impact knocked any remaining oxygen out of his lungs. As he'd submerged, he'd desperately tried to take in a gulp of air and ended up with a mouthful of water instead. It hadn't exactly been a stunning start to his descent underwater.

Ever since Afghanistan, and after that, the Mandarin, Tony's avoided large bodies of water with good reason. Hell, he doesn't even get into the swimming pool unless there's no other options - and generally, alcohol tended to provide a good alternative to swimming.

The urge to cough is approaching overwhelming as the water swirls in his mouth. Tony can feel it rising in his throat, threatening to burst free as the weight of his suit continues to drag him down.

He can't count on any of the others to pull him out. For all he knows, they aren't even aware he's in the water. He can't even blame them - they each had their own battles to fight.

Then, Tony coughs.

He tries not to draw in any more water, but he can't help it. It's an instinctual reaction, brought about by the sudden way his body seizes as he tumbles in an underwater current.

It's impossible to tell up from down. The fall had been disorienting enough for him, and combined with the effort of not drowning, it's been enough to keep him from righting himself.

Raw panic seizes him as another cough rips through his chest. Tony thrashes, eyes straining through the sting of the salty water, as he seeks out the surface. He just needs to find the thin shards of daylight that must be _somewhere_, and then he can begin to break free. It should be a simple matter, really.

He fails.

He's been under for only a few seconds, the cool, calculating part of his brain notes. Not nearly enough time to shut down. Not nearly enough time to sink too far beneath the water. Not nearly enough time to drown, even though Tony read somewhere that it was possible to drown in less than thirty seconds. He's fairly certain it hasn't even been that long. Maybe he'll ask Jarvis when he gets back up. If he doesn't drown before then, that is.

He's almost drowned before. It's not an experience he cares to repeat.

Frantically, Tony strikes out. It seems reasonable to kick in one direction, even if it's the wrong one. He has a fifty percent chance, maybe better, of succeeding in going the correct way.

Tony starts kicking. It won't be enough. It will never be enough. For all he knows, this is just another failure on a long list of the rather costly chain of mistakes that have comprised his life.

He pulls at the water frantically, still struggling to break free. He can't do this, he can't do this, damn it, he can't do this, he _can't-_

Something grasps Tony's hand with surprising ferocity and begins to tug.

He doesn't have to do this, Tony realizes. The realization hits him like a sledgehammer. He doesn't have to do this – to handle every single problem, to rely only on himself, to be the lone crusader.

Tony stops fighting and lets the grip pull him to the surface.

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><p>Thanks for taking the time to read, and please do consider dropping off some thoughts for me on your way out. -V<p> 


	4. Memory: Steve Rogers & Clint Barton

_Characters: Steve Rogers & Clint Barton_

_Summary: Mistaken identities and helpful snipers._

Thank you to everyone that's read thus far, and thank you doubly to everyone that's taken the time to review. As with yesterday's update, I'll be sending out review replies in the morning.

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><p><em>IV. Memory<em>

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><p>The crack of a rifle from afar startled him, and he whirled around, shield at the ready for any incoming enemy fire. Steve smiled as the man trying to sneak up behind him fell, bullet through the head and body hitting the ground moments later. Steve took the opportunity to toss his shield, ricocheting it off a concrete wall to strike the last enemy in range.<p>

"Thanks, Bucky," he said with a grin, giving the sniper a thumps up as he caught his shield. He waited a beat too long for Bucky to reply, smile slipping as the realization hit him. Again, he had allowed the mixture of adrenaline and pain to fog his mind, clouding his memory.

Steve let his shield drop to the ground, weariness clogging his every pore. He rubbed at the back of his neck in embarrassment even as Clint replied, "No problem, Cap."

The archer didn't take the opportunity to point out his slip, instead simply accepting things as they were. There was another crack and Steve turned to see a man several feet away sent staggering, a hand to his throat. He followed the path the bullet must have taken and saw the sloppy mock-salute Barton threw at him when he caught Steve looking his direction.

"Is that all of them?" Steve asked, prodding the stinging bruise developing on his jaw from a lucky shot.

Barton paused, and Steve could sense his cool contemplation. "Unless I missed something."

Hawkeye didn't miss. They all knew that, which is why Steve felt safe returning his shield to his back. Mission completed, Steve took a moment to reorient himself. _2012,_ he thought firmly, trying to fix it in his memory. _Not World War II._

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><p>Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for R&amp;R (do cookies count as review bribes?).<p>

-V


	5. Love: Loki & Thor

_Characters: Thor & Loki_

_Summary: They are brothers still. If not by blood, then by bond. _

Thank you for bearing with me so far in this marathon drabbling session I've embarked upon. =3 Many thanks to everyone who's read, favorited, followed, and reviewed. You guys are amazing! As a note, this scene was actually conceived before Thor 2.

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><p><em>Part V: Love<em>

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><p>Thor stands in the shadows, face concealed by the cowl of his cloak as he watches. In silence he observes the way Loki slumps in his cell, his posture reminiscent of a pitiful, ragged creature as he awaits his trial and inescapable sentencing. Even if his actions had been only taken against Midgard, the crimes of his brother would taken an age to recount. Thor wonders what will happen when Loki is sentenced. Will he be moved to the cells below? Or will he stay in his gilded cage? As much as Thor cares for his brother, he can't help but wish for Odin to utilize the first option.<p>

If Thor takes another step forward, he will be within the sphere of Frigga's spell. Their mother's binding is intricate, her magic woven into the very stones of the room to contain the sorcerer. The bright life-magic of Asgard itself twines with Frigga's enchantments, rendering it nigh on impossible to breach. Within the cell, Loki crouches within as an abused animal would – waiting for the next blow delivered by its masters, waiting for the mercy of death. Perhaps Loki's imprisonment and solitude will enlighten him to what he'd rejected when he'd let go on the bridge (and before that, when he tried to kill his own _brother - _if not by blood, then by bond).

Thor places his hand on the outer barrier, Frigga's magic humming in response to his touch. The ward ripples like water – barely resisting, waiting to allow him through. All he needs to do is ask and the magic shall consent.

A slow exhale.

Thor does not step through the barrier, does not let Loki sense his presence. He waits in the darkness, a simple observer filled with hope. Some days, he feels as though this fragile hope is all he has left. It doesn't matter how many battles Loki attempts to war against them, not as long as the fragile optimism grows within Thor.

One day, perhaps, Loki will return to them.

As long as Thor can keep telling himself _one day_, it is enough.

(It has to be enough).

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><p>Thanks for R&amp;R! Care to share your thoughts?<p>

-V


	6. No Time: Natasha Romanov & Steve Rogers

_Characters: Natasha & Steve_

_Summary: Sometimes a manual reset is the only option._

Ahh, my apologies for dropping off the radar! My week has been rather eventful with all the midterms I've had (the theme for this is quite fitting for the last week). I have the next couple after this written, so expect me to resume my daily updates.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and faved in my absence. You guys are the best!

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><p><em>Part VI: No Time<em>

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><p><em>0:31<em>

"Get out of here!" Steve orders roughly, hesitating over the device. It's obvious Steve doesn't know where to begin, and Natasha can't blame him at all. If she wasn't aware of the seconds ticking away, she'd have asked Stark what he thought of the technology.

_0:29_

Natasha moves closer to him as Clint continues to evacuate civilians, words sounding rushed even to her own ears. "Get out of my way," she tells the man, her own voice just as rough as his. She has no time for pleasantries or casual conversation, not now with the seconds ticking away.

"What?"

_0:25_

"I've done this before. Get out of my way – no time to argue," if Natasha's voice is more clipped than normal, there's no time to comment on it.

Steve moves out of her way at the second command and Natasha examines the device carefully. It's smooth – no cracks or seams on its surface, no obvious weaknesses betrayed. She would have felt better if Stark was here with his fondness for taking technology apart, but the two of them

_0:19_

She picks it up carefully in one hand, weighing it mentally as she considers. Her hands gently run over the surface, looking for a latch. Nothing. It's smooth all the way around, its black obsidian reflecting the winking sun into her eyes.

_0:14_

Her knife comes out easily, testing the area surrounding the clock. The tip scrapes along the side, leaving no marks behind. Once again, nothing provides any hint of how to disarm it.

She loathes magic. More than she loathes most things, in fact. It was right up there beside Stark's drinking problem and Hydra agents.

_0:10_

"Agent Romanov?"

_0:09_

Natasha ignores Steve pointedly as she sets her knife down and hefts the small orb in her hand. She has a feeling they're both overly complicating things. Occam's Razor tends to work well in her line of work, after all.

_0:08_

This has to work. Natasha eyes a likely looking spot on the brick wall they'd found the device next to. One shot, that's all she has. Seven seconds left, now.

_0:06_

She's going to kill the next magic user she sees, she decides with utter calm. The realization relaxes her slightly, lets her focus her mind.

_0:05_

Natasha begins to move, arm blurring slightly with the rapidity of her motion –

_0:04_

-Steve yelps, moving forward as the device skitters harmlessly to the side against the brick-

_0:03_

Natasha throws her whole body into it this time, bringing the force of years into training into the blow as she moves.

_0:02_

The orb hits.

It cracks, just slightly.

_0:01_

Steve moves in the space between one second and the next, faster than Natasha would have thought possible. The device simply shatters in his hands, breaking apart as he puts force on the crack Natasha had created.

_0:00_

Natasha lets out a minute exhale, the only sign of worry she will allow herself to show. Steve gives her a shaky grin as the device doesn't blow.

"That was your solution?" he asks wryly.

Natasha smirks at him as he drops the mangled remains of the device to the ground, "A manual reset seemed like the best option at the time."

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><p>Seeing as I have the next few written, I'll leave the choice for tomorrow's fic for you guys. I can either put up the follow-up to "Drowning" or put up a piece with Clint, Natasha, and Sam.<p>

Cheers!

- V


	7. Misfortune: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark

_Characters: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark. Features Natasha, Clint._

_Summary: Steve sees Stark hit the water, and then he's running._

Went ahead and did TBB 10 Songs Challenge, where you hit shuffle on your music and write to whatever ten songs come up. When **t****he Emperor Arrives/The Death of Yoda/Obi-Wan's Revelation **came up, the follow-up for the theme "_drowning_" came out. Apparently, my schedule is determined to make a liar out of me. Considering I have quite a few written now, expect rapid updates.

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><p><em>Part VII: Misfortune<em>

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><p>Steve crouches, shield clasped firmly to his body. There are too many enemies around him to repel, too many civilians, too little manpower –<p>

"_Stark to Rogers. We have a breach on West. Do you copy?"_

That's his side. Steve throws himself around the building and almost gets shot by enemy fire as a result. He snaps his shield up, deflecting blasts that manage to blow a hole in a nearby parked car.

"Working on it, Stark," Steve snaps, voice thrumming with tension.

"_I'm on it," _Natasha's voice comes as a surprise and there's a thud as she drops from above to land on top of one of the metal soldiers. Natasha drops him, her Widow's Bites crackling as they activate. "Hey, Cap," she greets him casually. "Thought I might drop in."

"Last I heard, you were in Canada," Steve replies casually, throwing his shield once more. Natasha takes out another soldier, denting it's helmet with a forceful kick.

"Clint and I thought we'd drop in and say hello," comes her casual response. "Say hello, Clint."

"_Hello, Clint,_" the archer announces himself and Steve can't help but flinch as an arrow on its way to take down one of the invaders skims a little too close for comfort. _"You guys have really done a number here, you know."_

_"Press tours are boring," _Stark says. _"I'm pretty sure it's Cap's fault we got attacked, anyway."_

"You're the one that published our schedule online," Steve points out genially. "Given the technology involved, I'm fairly certain someone's angry with _you_."

A thoughtful pause. _"That would explain why-"_

Stark's transmission abruptly dies, and Steve almost gets shot as he misses a step from surprise. "Stark? Stark come in," he orders, flinging his shield away from him.

"_Cap, on your nine o'clock_," Hawkeye snaps out. Steve lashes his head to the side and can see Tony falling, suit pinwheeling in the air as he tumbles. There's no evidence that Tony's doing anything to stop his fall – no thrusters, no snarky voice on the headset.

The suit falls from the sky, the lack of light from thrusters and reactor obvious to Steve's eyes, even from this distance. Steve moves before he's truly aware of what he's doing, shedding shoes and jacket as he flings himself forward.

Steve takes off at a run as the suit continues to fall, sprinting down the street in the direction he thinks that Stark will hit the ground. Under his boots, pavement turns to gravel, and then to sand. Impatiently, Steve sheds both boots and jackets as he goes. Steve's always been a good sprinter since he received the serum, and that comes in handy now as he runs.

He can see the impact as Stark's body hits the water, and then he's dashing forward even more quickly, Natasha and Clint's hurried assurances in his ear.

As rapidly as possible, Steve moves, flinging himself forward off the end of the pier. He fixed Stark's location in his mind when he hit the water, and now he just needs to reach it. He does, and then Steve dives underneath the water. The sand's disturbed into a fierce cloud - unsettled by the impact of the suit, he can only assume. Steve swims quickly, stroking as far down as he can even as his lungs strain. _. _There's no comm. chatter from Clint and Natasha. Steve's alone down here in the water, except for Tony.

_Tony. _Where is Tony? He has to be here somewhere. _Come on, Stark, give me some help he- there!_

Tony's gotten most of the suit off, luckily, the pieces of metal floating around him after detaching. However, it's clear he's disoriented, trying to put the pieces together after the unexpected fall. It looks like he's reaching – for what, Steve's not sure.

Black spots swim at the edge of his vision as he moves, the salty water irritating his eyes. _Almost there. Almost there._

And finally, _finally_, Steve is almost to Tony. He reaches forward through the water – he's not going to be able to reach Stark, not through the debris separating them. It's not just pieces of the suit down here, but old wreckage as well. _Come on Stark, give me some help here._

For a moment, he doesn't think Tony will. Then slowly, gently, one of Tony's hands reaches out through the water. Steve brushes against him, grips his wrist, and _kicks._

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><p>Many thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved, and followed so far! You guys are brilliant. Up next we'll either have a Bruce and Clint piece, or a Thor and Jane one. Let me know if you have a preference.<p>

-V


	8. Questioning: Bruce Banner & Clint Barton

Characters: Bruce Banner & Clint Barton

Summary: A short conversation featuring Clint Barton on the subject of "friendship, unity, and all that crap" and Bruce Banner on acceptable risks.

Continuation of 10 Songs Challenge, written to _"I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)". _Sorry for lack of updating, been recovering from (again) destroying my shoulder.

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><p><em>Part VIII: Questioning<em>

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><p>Unfortunately, it was Clint that caught Bruce trying to sneak out of the mission. Tony would have been easy to distract, Natasha wouldn't have been caught in the vicinity after his last Hulk-out, and Steve would have accepted his reasons as they were. Thor would have tried to understand, but would have acknowledged that his ignorance probably stopped him from being able to give decent advice or to pass judgment.<p>

"Where you going, man?" Clint prompted from his position blocking Bruce's escape. The archer leaned in the doorway, arms crossed and one foot casually propped against the opposite side of the door frame.

"I'm out," Bruce replied. "I'm not going to be the weak link anymore."

Clint's face darkened slightly, but the archer remained casual. "Care to elaborate?"

"I almost killed Tony today. His suit saved him, but the Hulk was out of control. What if it's Steve next time? Or Natasha, or you? The two of you are –"

"Human," Clint supplied helpfully. "Very squishy, if we want to use the technical term for it."

"It's not a joke," Bruce snapped, and for a moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the anger before he shuffled it away. It was a rare luxury, one subverted by the Hulk's growl in the back of his mind.

"I didn't take it as one. If you're worried about being the weak link, look at Nat and me. The two of us are, as you pointed out, human. If anyone's going to let the team down, it'll probably be us. Well, me, really. Natasha's a whole category unto herself."

Bruce shook his head, but Clint cut him off.

"I know what the Hulk can do. Seen it first hand – I helped clean up Harlem, because I had an apartment there at the time. Doesn't mean I don't trust you now."

"Clint, I could-"

"Yeah, you could," the archer casually fingered the end of his bow. "Except so could Tony, if the tech gets out of hand. So could Thor, if he decided he didn't want to be a friendly. So could Natasha if we find out that SHIELD didn't wipe all her old triggers – Hydra may have wanted to leave something behind."

Bruce locked his jaw. "It's diff-"

"And I did, Bruce. Remember the helicarrier? I did, Bruce. We're still not sure how many agents I killed. Bruce, we need you on the team. You think I could take out numbers like you do? Or even Rogers – can he throw a car to take out heavy hitters like the Hulk can? Or what about when you managed to rewrite the formula for the portals when you were helping Jane? We need you, Bruce. Doesn't matter if you Hulk out or not, we do."

Bruce stopped. Paused. Considered. Took a step back.

Clint smiled, and took a step forward, door swinging closed behind him. "Thank God," he said roughly. "I had this whole spiel about friendship and unity and all that crap, and I really didn't want to spout it off."

Bruce chuckled quietly. "I bet you did," he said.

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><p>Be a love and review?<p> 


	9. Drive: Thor & Jane Foster

Characters: Thor & Jane Foster

Summary: Thor was born to be a hero. That does not mean Jane needs to be saved.

More written for the 10 songs challenge. Sorry about delayed posting - college is a struggle and GPA is imperative to maintain. Song was _Legend of Zelda, Main Theme Medley. _Posted in accordance to EB's request to see some Thor and Jane.

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><p><em>Part IX: Drive<em>

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><p>Thor was born to be a hero.<p>

He's always known that fact, held secure in its knowledge. He rarely feels bowed under the expectations, rarely reflected over how in the greatest of stories, failures ring the loudest.

He will be too late, he knows that. Thor runs as quickly as he can, centuries of training propelling him forward with an urgency he rarely feels except in battle. Thor can feel the timestream around him, moments and seconds and impressions slipping past him all too quickly.

Thor throws himself forward. _He was born to be a hero._ He has to live up to it, he can't fail, he can't –

The lights of the complex abruptly flicker on, and for a moment Thor's feet falter. He pushes on, however. His lady is in jeopardy, doesn't know the danger her new employers pose to her. If he finds her too late, he won't be able to –

Mjolnir goes through a doorway, creating a hole large enough for him to throw himself through. Thor follows, his bulk moving aside whatever piece remain in his way.

Asgardians, as long-lived as they are, rarely feel the urgency of mortals. They have time aplenty ahead them, with the exception of battle. Even then, such things take time to plan, time to plot over. Asgardians, as a rule, rarely need to rush. However, that does not mean they cannot.

Thor rushes now, for he can see them – Jane and her newest employer, whom Natasha Romanov had just named as a member of Hydra. There's a gun between the two of them, a weapon Jane's fragile mortal body won't be able to withstand and where is Mjolnir, why is his hammer not returning into his hand in time –

His hammer hits his hand and Thor prepares to throw. Thor was born to be a hero. Heroes are supposed to help, to protect those they care for most.

(If Thor fails, will he be a hero?)

Except then the man goes down in a tumble. Thor doesn't realize what happened, not as first, but then Jane turns at the sound of Thor's thumping footsteps, Darcy's Taser in her hands.

"Thor?" she says quizzically.

Thor skids to a stop, Mjolnir still clasped firmly in his hand. Jane glances at it and raises an eyebrow.

"I-" Rarely is Thor at a loss for words, but now the power of Allspeak fails him. "I received a phone call from the Lady Romanov."

"Oh?" Jane waits, clearly desiring an explanation.

"Apparently, she was mistaken," Thor sidesteps the issue neatly. "Are you-"

"I decided to terminate my employment," Jane explains. "Of course, I'm not quite sure what to do with him now."

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><p>Many thanks to all past and present reviewers! You guys rock.<p> 


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